More Than Enemies
by sylf
Summary: She shook her head. It could never happen. They were enemies and could never be anything more. Kietro. EDITed last bit.
1. That's What We Do

Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my, I daresay, lovely plot.

Well I finally got off my lazy butt, figuratively, to type this out since I've had this idea for quite a while. And of course by the time I've done so, school's reopening soon. So don't expect too much. Hopefully my interest in this story remains though.

Set during Episode Thirty-Four, "Stuff of Villains". This story was inspired by the moment when Pietro and Kitty are hanging on the cliff. It was in that instant that I knew they could be more than enemies. Go figure.

I haven't watched every single episode of X-Men Evolution nor would I even remember those I have watched so I apologise for any incorrect/inaccurate information in my story. But it's my story and if I don't care you shouldn't.

* * *

It all happened in a split second. The van had been teetering over the edge, held back only by the mammoth strength that belonged to the equally large Fred Dukes. The handle of the van hung there, metal twisted and bent against the vice-like grip of sweaty palms, all eyes glued to the sight of Fred's super-strength finally, it seemed, fighting a losing battle. The metal strained against the impossible might that held it back, then, with a tired groan, it had enough.

The metal snapped loudly, the sound louder still as it echoed through the silent mountains.

In a flash, a lithe form sped towards the van and, just as it seemed it was about to slam into the door, it phased right through. A phenomenal sight to some, this was just another gift that had been bestowed upon those "mutants" fortunate, or unfortunate enough.

The van unceremoniously tumbled into the ravine, crashing into the water below with a splash a sumo wrestler would have been proud of. Someone gasped.

It was like a slow motion replay of a movie. Then, they spotted the slender hand that gripped onto the edge of the cliff. The sight jolted everyone out of their reveries. Todd Tolansky let go of a breath he didn't even know he'd been holding. Immediately, Rogue dashed towards the edge, searching for her petite friend.

"Kitty!" She drew nearer, then stopped abruptly as the cliff started to crumble, weakened by the tug-of-war that had gone on between the van and Fred earlier.

"Lance! What are ya trying ta kill them?" Rogue whipped around and glared daggers at Lance Alvers, only to remember, as she spotted his body on the ground, dazed, that she'd taken him out earlier on.

"Wait! Don't come any closer!" A voice squeaked from beyond their view.

Below, Pietro had manged to grab onto Kitty's ankle.

"What're you waiting for!" His usually calm exterior was gone as he peered down and caught sight of the river below. Far below.

"Look I don't know about you but I kinda like the idea of remaining in one piece." Pietro started to clamber up Kitty in a desperate attempt to get back on the ground, deciding that he wasn't in the mood for cliff-diving at the moment.

"Stop it or I'll phase through you!" Kitty screeched, deciding that she'd already been too generous in letting him touch her ankle. Her mind raced as she knew that the edge would crumble soon enough, leaving them to plunge into the icy waters below. And at this height, the impact alone would probably kill them.

Not if she could help it.

"Listen I have an idea! I'm gonna let go but don't let go of me. When we reach the bottom, I'll phase through the water," Kitty commanded, her usual bubbly self replaced by a calmness that emphasised the severity of the situation. She didn't give him time to answer. "On three. One... two..."

"What are you cra-!" Pietro interrupted, the colour draining from his face.

"Three!" Her aching hand slipped off the edge gratefully and they plunged towards the river. It had seemed like a long way down but now, as they fell, it seemed a lot shorter. It didn't take them too long. Wind whistling in their ears, images of everything around them zooming by the speed of a bullet train, it would have been thrilling if not for the fact that they didn't know what to expect. Kitty had certainly never attempted this stunt before.

Just as it seemed like they would slam against the hard body of water, Kitty shut her eyes tight, hoped for the best, and concentrated on phasing. If she was just a split second late, the result would be disastrous.

Soon... NOW!

They phased through the surface easily.

A few seconds later, she opened her eyes, deciding that the fact that she'd felt no pain was a good sign. The sight that lay before her eyes astounded her. The feeling of weightlessness, as one might feel in space, was there. And it was truly fascinating. Their bodies were completely immersed in water, yet they could not feel anything. Then she remembered Pietro.

She let go.

Cold water immediately rushed in, seeping into their clothes and chilling them to their bones. It came as a rude shock and Kitty gasped, immediately swallowing mouthfuls of water. She forced her way to the top, breaking through the surface, spluttering and choking on the filthy water. Pietro's hand had disappeared from her ankle.

She tried to look for him but soon the current of the water started to pull her along the river and she gave up. Fighting to stay afloat was tough, much less trying to swim to shore. Drained by her power, her limbs flailed uselessly in the fierce waters. It seemed there was only one way to go. She caught sight of the obligatory rapids down below and probably a waterfall somewhere further. Typical.

The tide kept pulling her beneath the surface and gulping down the water soon seemed like a routine. The exhaustion finally seemed to be getting to her as she stayed above water for shorter lengths of time. Her vision slowly faded and she sank beneath the water. It was so cliché, she thought to herself. Sacrificing her life for... one probably not worth it. Where was he anyway?

As she blacked out, she felt an arm slip around her waist, back pressed against a muscular lean body. And for the first time, she was glad to see him. Darkness enveloped her.

* * *

Icy blue orbs stared down at her, watching the seemingly sleeping form on the ground. She certainly was more tolerable when she wasn't screaming at him. Her hair tie had long been washed away and he impulsively ran a hand through the chocolate tresses. Pietro admitted that she was more attractive than many her age, certainly not the most attractive but enough for any warm blooded male with raging hormones to want her. He wondered if _he_ wanted her.

Well perhaps like this, he thought, deciding she looked hot with her drenched clothes clinging to her taut body like a second skin. Pietro smirked, eyes raking over her body. He was sure that if she'd been awake she'd have screamed at him. And, he grinned, he probably wouldn't mind.

Just then, he heard a tiny cough from beneath him. He immediately retracted the hand that had been absent-mindedly caressing her hair. It felt bare without the warmth of her hair but he pushed that thought aside. Her body stilled again and he bent down, his face barely a few inches away from hers.

Then suddenly, without warning, her eyes shot open and she coughed violently, coughing up the mouthfuls of water she had swallowed earlier. Naturally, right into Pietro's bewildered face.

"Yuck!" He withdrew immediately, disgusted, and frantically wiped his face as Kitty woke, choking out what seemed like bucketfuls of water. When she felt remotely better, she became aware of the familiar voice. She peered at the boy still busy attacking the water that had dared mar his good-looking features. Well, this certainly couldn't be heaven.

"That was disgusting Pryde," He glared at her. "A 'thank you' would have been nice."

"Well, I saved your life so we're quits." Kitty giggled, finding the sight of Pietro trying to save whatever face he had left very amusing. Pun intended. She wondered if she'd imagined his face so close to hers. The water on his face suggested otherwise. There was a moment of awkward silence as she watched him.

After a while, he stopped, unnerved and deciding his efforts were obviously futile.

"So... why'd you save me?" Pietro wondered if there'd been anything other than the apparent want to help people that caused her to jump into the van. His devilishly good looks for example. He chuckled as he knew that she had to have been brave, or just pure foolish to have saved him. He liked to believe it was the latter for both.

"Because that's what we do. _Help_ people." She replied predictably, yet this time, even to her own ears the usually inspiring words sounded artificial and forced. There was another moment of silence.

"So why'd _you_ save me?" She asked.

Pietro didn't answer immediately. Why _had_ he saved her?

"Just repaying a favour." He forced out eventually, refusing to think of it otherwise.

Somehow, they didn't completely believe the other's answers, but neither wished to pursue the topic any further. Had it been just an act resulting from their obligations, or was there something more between them?

(Stay tuned to find out x)

* * *

(Sorry that was a most unelegant way to end)

And of course a review would be nice. But please give constructive feedback. Remember: the purpose of a review is to help me improve and make the story better for your benefit! And of course make me feel appreciated ) I would feel more appreciated if my readers proved to bother enough to type properly (I really liked your story because…) instead of (LyK uR sToRy wAs s0 t0TaLly k3Wl d00dz) Yes it pained me to type that. And if you simply don't like the pairing you shouldn't be reading it in the first place so spare me.

Yes you can tell me if I got any facts wrong and I'll change it if I can (be bothered to) but as long as you tell it to me nicely I'll thank you nicely. But don't kick up a big fuss over it.

Oh and for the simplicity of the story, and of course my own pure laziness, I shan't be mentioning too much about the rest. Maybe I'll come up with a lame reason why they'll probably be stuck down there for quite a while. If not, use your imagination.


	2. You're Welcome

For the sake of the story, they fell in the afternoon. They probably did but I'm just repeating it in case I remembered wrongly.

Title, and ending I suppose, is somewhat inspired by the episode "You're Welcome" from Angel which belongs to Joss Whedon.

* * *

It had been a few hours, maybe more, since they'd last spoken. Kitty couldn't tell. Her watch had stopped working, ever since she got soaked she supposed. She unbuckled it and tossed it aside roughly. She only knew that she'd dozed off, since darkness had fallen already. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark and after a while she managed to make out her surroundings. She didn't know how far they'd drifted since falling in, and she doubted that Pietro would know. Scanning the area, Kitty decided that it actually wasn't too bad. The river narrowed here and was more like a small stream that trickled above countless round pebbles, smooth from years of the running water wearing away any rough edges. The wind was a gentle breeze, tickling her neck and hair the way a mother would her child, or perhaps like a lover's caress. A shudder ran down her spine as she seemed to recall something and her cheeks warmed a little. Yet somehow she couldn't understand why. She breathed a sigh, hugging her knees tightly. The night sky was breath-taking, to say the least. In the city, the beauty of the night sky was lost in never-ending clouds of smoke and dust that hung over the city even at night. Yet here the sky was clear, and the stars, shining and shimmering, were like confetti casually sprinkled on the velvet night sky, all seeming to smile and wink at her at the same time.

She smiled back.

The great outdoors... Kitty shut her eyes and breathed in deeply. The whole atmosphere was... peaceful even.

"What's taking them so long!" Scratch that.

"Well, maybe your so-called _friends_ aren't exactly in a hurry to find you," She snapped back, glaring at the source of the voice for disturbing her. Pietro was lying down on the grass next to her. Naturally, he decided to ignore her.

"They should be here by now... I mean. My father has tons of helicopters at his disposal, or even if he didn't he could surely just... you know... grab one." He made a grabbing gesture with his right hand, referring to his father's power over all things metal. "Anyway, what's one to save his _favourite_ son? Those idiots should have told him I'm down here by now... Unless of course they're too scared," He sniggered. "Hey, where are _your_ friends huh?" He looked at her pointedly, raising an eyebrow.

She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out. Where were they? Were they looking for her? Had Rogue been too afraid to tell the Professor? What _was_ taking them so long? Surely... surely with all their 'talents' there was _some_ way they could find her...

"Kitty..." Pietro was waving his hand in front of her face, wondering why she'd zoned out so suddenly.

"Huh?" She pushed away her train of thoughts, barely catching what he'd said. He'd called her 'Kitty'... Or had she imagined that?

"Ah, I knew it! Finally realised what a good-looking bastard I am eh?" He declared confidently.

"Dream on Maximoff!" She hastily replied, "Well... alright. Maybe the bastard part," She pretended to reconsider before bursting into laughter.

"Ouch. That hurt Pryde," He clutched his chest and feigned a pained look. She giggled. Somehow, down here, Pietro wasn't himself. In school, he was an annoying, obnoxious, chauvinistic pig and it had been all she could do to prevent herself from smacking him every time she saw him, wishing she could wipe that trademark arrogant smirk off his face. Here, no doubt he was still obnoxious and chauvinistic, but she saw a side of him she'd never seen before. He seemed more carefree and relaxed and that suited him more than the seriousness she knew he possessed whenever he had been sent on a mission by his father. His sarcasm wasn't scathing, more of the cheekiness of a young child, in a way that made her laugh. And _that_ was certainly a first. She realised she could see now the dashing boy that had charmed practically the whole female population at their school. Perhaps, down here, she wouldn't mind being friends. Maybe more...

She shook her head. It could never happen. They were enemies and could never be anything more. She wouldn't tempt herself by entertaining impossible thoughts. _Impossible_. That's what they were.

"So..." She began, in an effort to distract herself from thoughts that were wrong in more ways than one. Pietro raised an eyebrow at her. _She_ was trying to make conversation with him?

"Did the fall kill half your brain cells or have you changed your mind?" He leered at her and she smacked his arm playfully, her cheeks suddenly feeling warmer than usual, and she was instantly glad that the darkness would hide any sign of the crimson that was probably rushing up to her cheeks by now.

"Well, it must've killed half _your_ brain cells if you think I'll ever like you," She retorted, enjoying their friendly banter, all earlier thoughts of them being enemies seeming to have vanished.

"Alright alright... looks like you haven't lost your sharp tongue have you?" Pietro held up his hands in a mock surrender.

"Why? Cat got yours?" Kitty giggled as Pietro sighed, then was overcome by a shiver, her clothes still slightly damp.

"Cold?" Pietro sat up and looked at her. She didn't know whether her eyes were playing tricks on her in the dark or whether Pietro actually seemed concerned.

"Stop doing that Pietro or I'll start to think you actually," She gasped, "_Care_ for me," Kitty fluttered her eyes, her hand dramatically retracting to her chest the way she imagined one of his brainless fangirls might. After a moment, she burst out laughing. Pietro didn't seem faintly amused.

"Very funny," He rolled his eyes. She grinned, then out of the blue, sneezed loudly. She sniffled and tightened her grip around her knees.

"You're cold," Pietro whispered softly, then without warning, shifted closer to her, till she could feel his shoulder pressed against hers. Perhaps it was the way he'd said it, but somehow she didn't retort that he was stating the obvious. She didn't move away. She hesitated a moment, then leaned her head on his shoulder, noting that it was a perfect height.

"Thanks," She sniffled, closing her eyes and yawning. Pietro glanced down at her, slightly surprised. No witty remark. Nothing. He smiled. He opened his mouth to say something, but the steady rise and fall of her chest told him she'd fallen asleep already.

"You're welcome," He whispered, before leaning his head on hers and dozing off, a hint of a smile on his face.

_I could get used to this._

* * *


End file.
